Hi, I’m Joe V. The V is for Vadeboncoeur, but no one ever really calls me that (except my business card). That card also calls me the Global Director of Product Development, Marketing and Creative Design for Trek Bicycle. Yep, I am sometimes not really sure what all that means either. I do know that I dig bikes, oatmeal, motorcycles, burritos, the weird things I see along the way, my family and my job. I get to travel the world helping make great bikes, so it’s a pretty great gig.

December 16, 2012

The best ever family game!

“Best and Worst!” Yes I am seated, so I can call that game. If you have not yet figured things out, I am pretty much the smartest person you know. And you know, it is the proverbial - If you do not believe me, just ask me... But, well beyond just offering that as proof, I will tell you that if you do not believe me, just ask my family. They will certainly tell you that I am most certainly the smartest person you know - just ask him. Even Chris reluctantly has to admit.

I started this game at my family dinner table when my kids were young.

The game started as just a way to get everyone talking and for me to stay in touch with my kids when they were growing up. The game was that you had to say out loud what the best part of your day was and worst part. The rules were pretty simple at first, you had to have answers and could not pass.
Something was a little bit better than something else, something was a little bit worse.
It worked. We all talked, we all knew something about each other and we got a sense of who we were as a family and who we were becoming as individuals. And, we learned that we really liked each other.
But, the really great part is that the game has taken on a level of mythology that is truly impressive. The rules evolved along the way.

The first evolution of the rules was that you could not say the same thing as someone else. That meant that if you had spent the whole day with someone, you really wanted to be able to go before them, as it was hard sometimes to not have the same answers as the person before you.

That pushed the next evolution of the game, the person that called the game got to decide the order. Calling the game could only be done when everyone was seated. That led to a mad dash to call the game the moment the last bum touched a seat. This would set off a bout of competitiveness, and anything you can compete at in our family is a good thing.
Of course calling the game meant you got to penalize someone into going last, making it difficult for them to come up with an acceptable offer on the game that had not already been spoken by someone else.

The next evolution on the rules was a complete ban on anything cheesy. One could not ever ever ever say something like “My best is that we are all here together for dinner.” – Cheesy. "I am so happy that we are having xx for dinner." - Cheesy. This rule has been particularly difficult for guests to understand. Grandparents in particular have difficulty with this rule.

The next evolution was that the person who called the game could decide to change the rules at any point in the game. Most people do this as they really just want to penalize Ali (at least that is what she assumes, "No one in this family ever listens") I like to be able to change the rules midstride, just to exert my authority over the game. Somewhere along the way Liz is going to say “Your not the boss of me…” Given that, I need to find ways to be in charge.

The last evolution of the rules is that I can change the game rules anytime I want, even if I did not call the game. I am sort of a dictator. Most people are fine with this (recognizing the superior intellect), Hanna has just resigned herself to it, but it mostly just irks Chris – which is the real reason that I created this rule in the first place.

The funny part is the lore of the game. It was fun even when the kids were in college, as their friends would come to the table and say “Ooo, I have heard about this game.”

It is pretty much the best family game ever.

So, Best and Worst! I am also taking the liberty of listing more than 1 thing - if I want to.

Best

Oh what a lovely squeek

1. Belgium in the spring. As you are well aware now, Belgium is the galactic center of cycling.

If you ever have the opportunity to go to Belgium at the end of March/beg April - do it. Get yourself to the Koppenberg climb on the day of Flanders race ride the roads around Flanders, drink in the cycling history. It is absolutely the best part of Cycling. Last year I was fortunate enough to go there and ride the Flanders course, ride the Roubaix challenge (I realize it is not really Belgium, but it is sort of the same part of the world) and then ride the Roubaix cobbles again on my own.

The crazy Belgian fans, the terrain, the history, the cobbles are tough, the climbs are steep, the wind is horrible, the speeds are impressive - you will never forget it.

I am going again this year. Stay in Brugge, drink Belgian Trappist Ale, ride my bike and hope I do not fall down, with Fabian Cancellara romp through the races and generally speak crummy french while smiling big the whole time. (The Mexican Food is almost non existent though)

Keep your hands off my burrito.

2. I think that I had an all time record number of burrito's this year.
I am not certain, but I know I had more than 100 burrito's during the
course of the year. There is nothing wrong with that, is there?

It's a strange family, I know.

3. Mountain bike rides. Blessed samples I have had this year.
Fortunate that I travel and that I like to ride my mountain bike am I.
Wondering where to ride you must be. Further looking than my list you
will not need to.

I did a great trip to Arizona with the family in January. It was
duper. Love riding there, it is just about my favorite XC riding. If
you have not ridden in the dessert, then you may not know what you are
missing. I also did a great family trip to the UP of Michigan. Copper Harbor it was, there hey.
Great riding place. Liz and I did what was supposed to be a great MTB
trip to Australia. Alas, that was cut short by a Kangaroo getting in my
way.

I guess that means that the Az trip has to be the highlight for this best and worst trip down memory lane of the year. There you have it.

Worst

Australian hospitals are a kicking place to spend a MTB vaca.

1. To me personally it has to be the Kangaroo incident in
Australia. Imagine my displeasure to go all the way to Australia to
ride MTB, only to have a Kangaroo take me out on a ride. Arghh...

But, I did get to experience the Australian health care system - Bonus. Damn Kanagroos.

2. I did not get to go to Whistler. I wanted to, but just did not get to. Grr... No picture of that one, as it would just be a guy with a sad face. If you have not been to Whistler, and you are a mountain biker - you just need to go. There really isn't anywhere more fun. I will get there this year.

Lloyd cutting it up in Utah.

3. I still have not been able to get out for a ride with my friend
Lloyd. He even went to Moab this year, and I did not get to go with
him. Of course it was entirely his fault that he chose a week that I
could not join. I also plan to get out there and ride the Whole
Enchilada and eat about 12 burrito's - mostly because I can and I cannot
let Lloyd be ahead of me on this one.